Extending the Symbolic: Baptism in Art, Essay Example

The nature of most art is interpretive, even when the aim is to present a reality, and this is most evident in cases of religious art. Scripture itself is vastly subject to interpretation, so religious art tends to express individual perceptions and ambitions, depending on the era and the artist. How these processes evolve is strikingly seen in the 975 C.E. art depicting a baptism. Before any assessment of this interpretation may be made, however, it is necessary to examine the actual “source material.” To that end, the accounts of baptism in the New Testament must be presented, in order to gain an understanding of the subject matter and consequently note how it is interpreted in this Medieval image.

When the New Testament is looked to in this regard, the primary conclusion reached is that baptism itself is a fundamentally symbolic event, which promotes varying individual perceptions of it. This s true despite the urgency and consistency of the Biblical accounts. For example, that the act must be performed with water is made very clear; in John 3:23, the Baptist records that the ritual was done in Aenon because there was much water there. Famously, Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan river (Mark 1:9-11). In Acts 8:35-38, Philip assures the eunuch that the water before them is proper for baptizing, provided the eunuch’s soul is ready to embrace God. The water mechanics aside, however, great meanings are attached to the act, which also reveal different perspectives. The ritual of the immersion in water is powerfully symbolic, and it is identified often in the New Testament with the receiving of the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells the Apostles: “John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5), which points to the water baptism as representing the more direct initiation or acceptance of God. There is as well the symbolic element of baptism as reflecting rebirth, as Jesus asserts that no man may enter the kingdom of God unless he is baptized by water and the Spirit (John 3:5). What is then revealed is a tangible act of water immersion that is wholly symbolic in nature, and an offering of the self to God.

The essence of this symbolic force is blatantly presented in the image, and perhaps the most striking element of it is the complete joining of the divine with the mortal. In no uncertain terms, the artist here translates the urgency and weight of the event. Jesus, as noted, makes it irrefutable that God is denied to the individual unless they undergo the baptism, and it is difficult to conceive of a more forceful imperative. The immensity of it is here depicted in how the angels crowd to assist in the event. They both fly above and assist by the side, holding towels or robes. The angel on the right also appears to have closed eyes, reinforcing the sacredness and importance of the event. The sheer presence of the angels demonstrates that this is an occasion of an importance that commands divine participation. This effect also supports the baptism as the actual juncture between the mortal and God; with the angels present, the connection between the human and the divine is set out as a reality. The meaning of this effect may be, in fact, more plainly seen by imagining such a scene without angels, which would compel the viewer to add divine dimension to the simple, human act.

It is also interesting to note the water itself, or the “mechanics” of this baptism. As noted, John takes Jesus into the Jordan, and immersion in rivers and bodies of water is established as the correct form in the New Testament. Here, the symbolism seems to expand. If this is a river, it is one being created by a man to the left, pouring out the waters from a great urn or vessel. There is immersion, as the Bible demands; the one baptizing has one foot in the water and another “on shore,” and the Christian receiving the sacrament is covered to the waist by water. This allows, then, for differing interpretations. That it is an old man pouring the water may suggest the symbolic presence of God Himself as the creator of all things. At the same time, and true to the duality in Medieval belief, it is possible that this is in fact a pagan presentation of a sea god. Most remarkable of all, nonetheless, is this strange element of the river or water as being supplied by an individual, which may actually relate to Matthew 20:22: “Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” In other words, and even as the Bible typically refers to immersion in rivers, there is a New Testament connection – the cup – to the modern baptisms of anointing with holy water.

Lastly, the grandeur of the image and the excessive, ornate borders may be seen as more specifically defining the subject of the image. More exactly, and also supported by the angel population mentioned, it is reasonable to suppose that this is the baptism of Jesus. The source of the water notwithstanding, there is the necessary immersion, as the degrees of immersion of the two imply a minimal entry into water, and with the receiver of the sacrament slightly more immersed. This is in keeping with John’s leading of Jesus into the Jordan. Then, and importantly, the baptizing figure is dressed in a way indicating a kind of exalted status. He wears a turban, as do the angels, and there seems to be a jewel at the center. Then, the figure in the water, bearded and thin, corresponds to typical ideas of Jesus’s appearance.